Plans to build 180 homes on site of West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club back again

The West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club in Sandal could be bulldozed to make way for 180 new houses on the site, with a new sports club built in nearby Walton to replace it.

The proposals were first put forward in 2013 and have been given planning permission twice, with approval last being given in 2017.

However, on both occasions the decision has been rendered nul and void because the necessary legal agreements between the developers, Persimmon Homes, and Wakefield Council weren't completed on time.

As a result the club, which is owned by the council but leased to a group of trustees who've run it since the 1990s, remains standing and the homes unbuilt.

But now the application is going through the planning process again and could be approved for a third time later this year.

Local people are now speaking out to oppose the plans again, with many concerned about the impact new homes will have on traffic and infrastructure in the area.

Roger Holmes, a long-term objector to the scheme, said it would be "very sad", if the proposals went ahead.

"It's an excellent sports site," Mr Holmes, a retired town planner, said.

"I think it will be very bad news for the residents of Sandal and the wider community.

"The previous case given by the council for developing this vital sports and community facility has been that there is a shortage of housing land in Wakefield.

"How can this still be justified now when major new housing sites such as City Fields and Snowhill have since been allocated for housing?"

Mr Holmes also said that moving the club to land on Shay Lane in Walton was a "bizarre" choice, as it would be relocated close to an existing sports centre and leave Sandal short of community facilities.

Around 200 comments have been recorded against the application on the council's online planning portal, though many date back to the time it was first submitted.

Wakefield South councillor Nadeem Ahmed said that there was less need for new homes than when the site had been allocated for housing many years ago.

Coun Ahmed, who leads the council's Conservative group, said: "I don’t understand how an outdated housing plan that was created that many years ago can still be relevant.

"These homes would be expensive, rather than being affordable housing and that's now what we need.

"It’s not the right place, it’s not the right time and it’s the wrong kind of development for this area.

"The schools are full, the GP surgeries are full and Agbrigg Road will be at a standstill at rush hour.

"A lot of residents feel their views over this have been ignored."

Local Democracy Reporting Service